When “life” smacks you in the face!!

One of the most surreal moments of my entire life was when my wife and I left the hospital with our first born child.  As we pulled away the nurse waved goodbye and said good luck.  “Good luck?”  I looked at my wife and said, “Can you believe they just let us drive away with him?”  There was a mixture of great excitement about taking our first born child home with us and total fear about the fact we were taking this teeny, tiny human being home with us.

We had read books on babies and of course gotten all kinds of advice up to that point on babies.  We had all the right equipment at the house just for a time as this.  Diapers.  Check.  Crib.  Yes.  Bottles.  Yep.  Clothes and towels.  Check and check.  We had all the right equipment and greatest of plans; yet we still felt overwhelmed by the task at hand.  Even with all the proper equipment and plans, we quickly ended up back in the hospital with him because of unforeseen circumstances.

Have you ever had plans and thoroughly prepared yourself for something that didn’t quite go the way you thought they should?  Life has a way of throwing us into a tailspin of whys, whats, and how comes!  The circumstances in the lives of the people in Jeremiah’s time were worse than bad.  Jeremiah was not well liked and the people wanted to stop him.  Jeremiah was thoroughly disgusted with God at this time too.  Yet God, in the middle
of all these troubles, reminded Jeremiah and the people…

Jeremiah 29:11-14 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.  

Here are a few things to keep in mind while on this journey we call life.  First, know that you are not alone when life smacks you in the face.  Life is no respecter of person; it tries to beat everyone down.  Second, know that God is not hiding and he is not playing games with your life.  He has always wanted a relationship with you and still wants a relationship with you; just look to the cross of Christ.  Third, continue seeking him no matter the tailspin this life may have put on you; God has a future and a hope for you.

In Christ Alone and continuing in prayer,
Chad